Race and the American Novel Project Part II: Synthesis

One of the more interesting things that I think parallels the multiple discussions, readings, blog posts, and other activities that have taken place throughout the course of the semester is how views of African Americans have changed throughout the years, even in regards to those who have historically supported them. From Uncle Tom’s Cabin, to Beloved, to the blog posts, to the class discussions, and eventually to the contemporary racial issues of today, views on African Americans have changed significantly over the years.

In regards to Beecher Stowe, her view of blacks seems to be very one dimensional and, although sympathetic towards them, rather stereotypical. She paints the African American characters in her stories as having one personality trait and not being complex. Tom is a loving grandfather figure, Chole is a happy grandmother figure, Eliza a brave mother, Geroge a strong and intellectual father and husband, Cassy a hardened worker, etc. While none of these traits are necessarily bad, many of them are simply not complex, and they seem to be there to fulfill one specific role in the story. I also feel this has to do with the writing style of Beecher Stowe’s day, but this nonetheless translates to her African American characters. An example of this is one of the first descriptions given of Uncle Tom mentions his piety. “Uncle Tom was a sort of patriarch in religious matters, in the neighborhood….it was at prayer that he especially excelled,” (Stowe, 27).

In the novel Beloved, the characters are given much more depth, complexity, and they are much more flawed. Again, this could be a product of the time as this type of writing has become more popular, but even several short decades ago, one would assume that African Americans were not always written this way. I also feel this is also because Morrison is an African American woman, and therefore has a better grasp on what it is like than Stowe. I feel that, like Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the way that the characters are introduced gives us a lot of details about them. A flaw in Sethe’s character is evident within the first few pages of the novel, “Counting on the stillness in her soul, she had forgotten the other one: the soul of her baby girl,” (Morrison, 5). Every character in the novel is flawed in some way, some more than others, but none are the picture perfect example of piety and diligence like the African American characters in Stowe’s novel. All of Morrison’s characters are complex and have more than one or two simple attributes to them.

The article that I chose for my commentary section on this project also speaks to this theme. The author herself is an African American, like Morrison, and she identifies with the struggles that they went through, and she herself says that she still feels the scars of slavery. “That is, I am always reminded of that historical period where I am referred to as ‘black,’ or ‘African American’; these identities, labels, are a manifest struggle to name the curious result of slavery in this country,” (Gourdine, 18).

Through our discussions and blog posts, it is evident that views towards African Americans have changed since the time of Stowe. I think that our discussions and the various ways that we talked the characters in Stowe and Morrison’s novel demonstrate that everyone in the class has a positive view of African Americans, and expresses pity at their plight depicted in the novel. But more than this, the students saw them not only as objects of pity but also as complex characters that represented more than just themselves. This was evident in our discussion of Stowe’s novel when we talked about the character attributes of some of the major characters and “peeled back the layers” so to speak to reveal more than just what was written there. I also found the blog posts often dove into the complex issues surrounding slavery and showed that people really thought about what they were posting, it was not just an expression of pity but also an attempt to understand all the issues in regards to the culture of slavery in the south.

The current issues of the day, such as the riots in Baltimore and other places over the past year, as well as the increasing sensitivity worldwide to racial issues clearly shows that people’s attitudes have changed. Many now are becoming more and more aware of racial issues that are prevalent today, and people are doing more and more to stop it and raise awareness of it. An example of this that appears in the article that I used in my post on contemporary issues is about a top high school football player who uncommitted to Oklahoma University following the racist comments of the fraternity. “One of the nation’s most sought-after high school football players, Jean Delance of Mesquite, Tex., who is black, withdrew his commitment to play for Oklahoma, citing the videos,” (Fernandez, Perez-Pena).

I hope that it is clear that since the times of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the public’s views of African Americans has changed. They have gone from being feared, stereotyped, or pitied to being accepted into society, befriended, and defended when attacked racially. The struggle of African Americans is not fully over, and they have many obstacles to overcome, but they have certainly come a long way since the days of before the Civil War. Theirs is a story of struggle, sacrifice, hardship, and perseverance, and I hope that we all take the time to appreciate the fact that they have contributed so much to this nation and that we can learn so much from them.

Works Cited:

Fernandez, Manny, & Perez-Pena, Richard. “As Two Oklahoma Students Are Expelled for Racist Chant, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Vows Wider Inquiry”. nytimes. The New York Times Company. 10 Mar. 2015. Web. May 14 2015.

Gourdine, Angeletta KM. “Hearing Reading and Being ‘Read’ by Beloved”. NWSA Journal. Vol. 10. No. 2. (Summer 1998): pp. 13-31. JSTOR. Web. 14 May 2015.

Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Random House, Inc., 1987. Print.

Stowe, Harriet beecher, and Elizabeth Ammons. Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Authoritative Text, Backgrounds and Contexts, Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton, 1994. Print.

Race and the American Novel Project Part II: Reader Response

Beloved is considered by many to be a classic piece of literature, and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988. It is considered by many to be a deep, emotional, complex, and layered book. After looking over several reviews from the sites Goodreads.com, Amazon.com, and Barnesandnoble.com, many people seemed to agree with this assessment. However, there were also a large amount that disagreed with this assessment, and found the book confusing, slow, boring, and the language too lofty. I personally agree with the latter reviewers.

The majority of the reviews that I read in regards to the novel were talking about the complex characters, masterful writing style, and unique and interesting plot. One reviewer wrote that it was “One of the most beautiful books I've ever read.” And other’s praise the writing style, one review saying, “Morrison’s use of words to describe events and characters in the book is gorgeous. I've read it numerous times and each time i fall in love over and over again.” Many reviewers also praised it’s realism in how it depicted the events of the lives of slaves and the horrors they went through. Overall, the majority of reviewers were extremely satisfied with the read, and even those who gave it average reviews still said that it was a good book, many simply citing the writing style and narrative as confusing.

There were those however, who thought that the book was not good at all. They said that it was drawn out, strange, uninteresting, confusing, and the writing was too abstract. “I found Beloved incomprehensible to the point of absurdity...For the story to grab me, I need to know what the story is,” wrote one reviewer. Another who read the book said, “It was more disturbing than I thought it would be, giving gruesome details on things that were depressing.” I thought it was interesting to view the contrast between these two types of readers, and to see that many of the reasons the novel is praised by those who enjoy it are the very same reasons that those who did not enjoy it criticize it.

I fall into the latter category of people. I am sure that I will get pushback on this, but I found the novel hard to get into. I found the writing style of Morrison to be rather dry and uninteresting, and extremely confusing. The constant shifting between viewpoints and times with little to no clues as to when it was happening was frustrating. The book was not all that interesting to me, and I felt the plot was thin and not intriguing. I agree with one reader that said that the book seemed rather pretentious. I thought story and writing style were very odd, and though I know it was trying to be realistic, I felt that the way the characters talked and how they thought was poorly written. With that said, I do see why people would praise a novel such as this, and I will admit that the character of Beloved and more specifically the supernatural elements of the story were some of the highlights. I had no problem with the graphic nature of the novel, as I felt it made a lasting impression of the horrors of slavery, although I did find it disturbing.

On the whole, the novel was mostly praised, and I think it will continue to be praised by many for a long time to come. Many see it as a masterpiece of literature dealing with complex issues and that it is still relevant despite the setting of the story. While I do agree that the novel is unique and interesting in some aspects, I simply did not enjoy it. I think part of it was my expectations upon hearing of the rave reviews were skewed and so because it was not what I was expecting I was disappointed. The novel was one that I am glad that I read for the sake of being more “cultured” so to speak, but not a book I will be reading again.

Race and the American Novel Project Part II: Contemporary Connections

Racism is still present today, whether people want to admit it or not. This is clear in the wake of the recent wake of tragedies and their subsequent protests that have happened around the country. Examples include those in Ferguson, New York, and Baltimore. However, one story that faded out rather quickly, but I feel is just as important, is one that occurred on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in early March of this year.

The incident I am referring to involved members of a national fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, chanting racist comments on their way to a formal event that was celebrating the founding of the fraternity. “The campus here has been reeling since members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon were shown in two videos chanting a song whose lyrics included racial slurs boasting that there would never be an African-American member. The song also referred to lynching…” (Fernandez, Perez-Pena).

The fraternity was shut down immediately by its headquarters in Illinois. The videos sparked protests from students across the campus, and some of the students involved were expelled from the University. Indeed, it seems that there have been very few black members of the fraternity, “William Blake James II wrote on his blog that when he joined in 2001, he was only the second black member…” (Fernandez, Perez-Pena). This is a particularly troubling incident, and although it is not as tragic as the incidents in other parts of the country that led to a loss of life, it is still sad to hear about nonetheless.

This incident, although recent, does in some way tie into the novel. This deals with the founding of the fraternity, which took place in 1856. “The fraternity — started in 1856 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., before the Civil War — celebrates its Southern heritage,” (Fernandez, Perez-Pena). The novel Beloved takes place in 1873, with flashbacks to the 1850’s. The novel provides an accurate account of the time, and this is the context in which the fraternity was founded, among the rising tensions just before the Civil War. This should give us some clue as to what the founding ideals were of this fraternity and what kinds of events shaped its early development.

I think that our reading of Beloved can greatly inform how we view this issue. The fact that the novel is so blunt about the reality of slavery is shocking, and yet I think it provides good context for what is it like to be on the receiving end of these racist comments. Slavery and those who lived through it suffered unimaginable horrors, many of which are uncomfortable even to talk about. When comments like these are spouted off without thinking, it brings up images, emotions, and feelings that are hurtful and have scarred the history of the African American people and America as a nation forever. People will never forget the terrible atrocity of slavery, and comments such as the ones said by the students are disrespectful, mean-spirited, and bring up hurts and wounds in exactly the wrong way. The struggle of African Americans should instead be looked at through eyes of compassion, reverence, respect, and pity.  

Work Cited:

Fernandez, Manny, & Perez-Pena, Richard. “As Two Oklahoma Students Are Expelled for Racist Chant, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Vows Wider Inquiry”. nytimes. The New York Times Company. 10 Mar. 2015. Web. May 14 2015.

Race and the American Novel Project Part II: Critical Commentary

In her article, Hearing Reading and Being “Read” by Beloved, one point that the author Angela KM Gourdine makes is an argument about what the character Beloved is. Not so much as to what she is physically, but more in regards as to what she represents. In the view of Gourdine, Beloved represents, what she calls “disremembered”. The reason that Beloved returns is to once again be remembered.

Essentially the argument that Gourdine makes is that Sethe repressed or “dismembered” Beloved after her death and that in anger, Beloved returns in order to once again be remembered by her mother. “...I am suggesting that Beloved is repressed memory resurfaced and the consequence of attempts to repress and ignore painful and explosive memories,” (Gourdine, 15.) Beloved is not simply content with Sethe remembering her, but wants to change the present. She wants to be connected again with Sethe and be one with her. This is why she begins to drain the life from Sethe, because she is Beloved’s sustenance. “To resist her own devouring, Beloved sustains herself on her mother, and by reattaching the umbilical cord, her lifeline, she drains Sethe,” (Gourdine, 23).

Gourdine points out that Sethe not only represses the memory of killing her daughter, but also those memories of Sweet Home and her time as a slave. She points out that this repression takes place not only in the mind of Sethe, but in all black women in some way. Gourdine goes even further and connects this repression to society as a whole. “Beloved reminders the readers, and those she encounters in the world of the text, that slavery, though repealed, is still with us; every dark body is haunted by it, marked by it,” (Gourdine, 18). Try as we might as a society to repress memories of slavery and try to escape it, we still feel its effects today, and repressing it will do no good.

This take, I feel, is a very profound one. I agree with this assessment, and this makes enhances the theme of letting go of the past. Viewing the story in this light, it is much easier to see that the novel is a story of a woman who has to forgive herself for what she has done. Sethe’s inability to forgive herself and simply repress the memory only makes it worse. She is filled with regret yet cannot fully bring herself to let go of her dead daughter. She thinks of what she had to do and the memory of what she had to endure, and it drags her down. She lives in the house with the ghost, and Beloved’s arrival symbolizes her repressed memories incarnate. Her memories come to the surface and begin to suck the life out of her (i.e. the umbilical cord). It is only when she faces her terrible memories and learns to live in the present that she can fully be free. I think one of the last lines in the book sums up this point perfectly, “me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow,” (Morrison, 322).

This article was a difficult one to decipher, and there were multiple themes in it, so zeroing in on one was difficult. However, I found this interpretation very interesting and insightful. I thought it was helpful that the author brought in other sources than just the book to support her various theories, and this enhanced the credibility of her arguments. This article definitely helped me understand just one of the main themes of the novel, as I am sure one could come up with dozens and dozens of themes present in this highly complex book.

Works Cited:

Gourdine, Angeletta KM. “Hearing Reading and Being ‘Read’ by Beloved”. NWSA Journal. Vol. 10. No. 2. (Summer 1998): pp. 13-31. JSTOR. Web. 14 May 2015.

Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Random House, Inc., 1987. Print.

Extra Credit Blog: My Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium Experience

The Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium was a great experience for me, and I really enjoyed looking at and listening to everyone’s creative ideas, thoughts, and work. The thing that I most enjoyed about it was that it covered a wide range of topics, not just art or artistic expression. While I do think art is important and should be celebrated, it was also interesting to hear people’s ideas about using science, research, and their creativity to overcome problems that they saw or questions that they had. This blog post will be a brief rundown of the things I most enjoyed about the Symposium.

For the first part of the Symposium, I looked at the artwork and poetry collections that were on display in the commons. I found the poetry collection to be very interesting, especially since I am in the creative writing class from which they were submitted. It was interesting to view and read the different collections and see how the poetry related to their particular theme. In class I had heard ideas spouted off about what other students wanted to do, so to be able to see them first hand on display was really neat. The artwork was also very impressive, and I enjoyed looking at all the various pieces on display. Most were of the human figure in some pose, and it was intriguing to look at all the different interpretations people came up with, whether it be more abstract or realistic looking. The other artwork seemed to be random, but was also very impressive, and I am always in awe of people who can use simple ink and paper to make images come alive.

The second part of the Symposium I participated in was the first round of oral presentations. The first presentation was talking about the evolution of sexism towards women in math and science. It was interesting to learn about the involvement of women in these fields, and yet disappointing to hear that many of their achievements were undervalued or overlooked simply because they were women. The study done on sexism towards female professors and staff of the UW- Manitowoc campus was relevant and I feel proved their points well. The second presentation was on homelessness in Manitowoc County. I found it eye opening, as this is a subject that is barley talked about among the community. Also, I feel that their solution of buying bus passes to facilitate the homeless people’s travel with only $100 demonstrated their resourcefulness and knowledge of the real problems facing these people. The poetry reading at the end was excellent and emotional. The use of visual aides was interesting and something I had never seen done before in a presentation of a literary piece. I felt it helped convey the emotion and feelings of the speaker and added depth to the words she was reading.

The last part I attended was the poster session. I found the projects interesting and thought they all looked professional and well thought out, with the information on them clearly laid out, and the use of visual aids such as charts or graphs was helpful in interpreting the data and information on them. I thought one of the impressive aspects was how some studies had been done over the course of multiple years, with student passing their accumulated information down to other so they could continue to study whatever that subject was. I also thought that the other studies were well conducted and that all the topics were interesting and thought provoking.

The Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium was a great experience and one that I found stimulating in a variety of ways. I felt that the different expressions and research that was presented was all interesting and that everything looked professional and well done. It was a successful afternoon, one in which I learned much. I feel that it was successful and the people who had work in it should be proud of themselves, as they helped contribute to a great day that reflected positively on the University.

The Disturbing Dangers of Devaluing Women

The excerpt we read from The Woman Warrior was a powerful, yet disturbing piece of literature. This piece was a true story, with some embellishments, about the author, Maxine Hong Kingston, imagining what life must have been like for her aunt whom she never knew. Her aunt committed suicide because of the treatment she received due to a suspiciously timed pregnancy while her husband was away in America, and she was in China. To me, the most disturbing aspect of this story is that whoever this person was who impregnated her, she had to have known them well.

“He was not a stranger because the village had no strangers. She had to have dealings with him other than sex” (pg. 1509). To me, this is perhaps the most disturbing part of the story. Kingston is not sure whether the pregnancy was due to rape or, perhaps the sex was consensual. Both possibilities are  equally troubling. If the man was an attacker, it meant that Kingston’s aunt would had to see the man around the village regularly, constantly reminded of the abuse that she took from him. Also, if the man was a consensual lover, then it meant that he stood by and said nothing while she took the brunt of the hatred from the other villagers. The fact that if he was a lover, and he got involved with a married woman should also say something about him. In both cases, it is clear that whoever this man was, he clearly did not care about her.

I think that the scenario that her aunt finds herself in speaks volumes about the mistreatment and the disrespect given to women throughout history. The passage, “Women in China did not choose. Some man commanded her to lie with him and be his secret evil,” (pg. 1509), explains this perfectly. If their feelings were mutual or not, it did not matter. He viewed Kingston’s aunt as below him, so she had to do what he said. Perhaps she was in love with him, but did not want to have sex. This didn’t matter, she had to do what she was told. This story shows perfectly what can happen when women are viewed as second class citizens and have no power to speak out.

The public shaming of her also shows what kind of things happen in a culture where women are looked down upon and treated poorly. In modern America and other countries where women are treated more equal than before, divorces and other such goings on are not public matters that are laid out for everyone in the community to see. “The villagers had also been counting. On the night the baby was to be born the villagers raided our house,” (pg. 1507). In modern times, at least in America and other western nations, nothing like this would happen. Matters relating to families are more private and couples can choose what they want to disclose and not disclose to others. Matters such as divorce, adultery and the like should not be dealt with by the public, but instead should be a private matter dealt with by only those that the couple wants involved.

I think this excerpt raises some interesting questions and points about what happens in a culture that devalues women. Because in many of these cultures women lack, or have lacked in the past, a say in many aspects of their life, they are unable to control many of the things that happen around them. This leads to situations that are harmful to everyone involved, and this is just one of the many reasons that women should be given full equal footing with men all around the world, regardless of the situation. This excerpt is a strong reminder of the dangerous stress, pressure, and physical and emotional turmoil that result in a culture where women are belittled.

The "Howl" of Despair

The poem "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg is a depressing and melancholy piece of literature that has many themes and elements to it. One of these themes is hopelessness. You can see this in every part of the poem and it talks about how Ginsberg felt that his generation had no hope and nothing to look forward to. He felt that their lives were nothing and that there was no point in continuing to follow the rules and regulations of society. To me, this makes the poem extremely depressing and not enjoyable to read at all.

Part one talks about the destitute and hopeless situation of those around him. Ginsberg talks about how he sees those around him wasting away, giving themselves over to drugs and sex. They begin to realize that they are not going to change the world around them. They are depressed and seek thrills and getting that next big rush, which leads them to heavily abuse drugs and waste their lives away. A good example of this is on page 1359 where Ginsberg writes "who cut their wrists three times unsuccessfully and, gave up and were forced to open antique stores where they thought they were growing old and cried".

The second part of the poem talks about the Canaanite god Moloch, to whom sacrifices were made. This talks about hopelessness in that it relates to the people of his generation. They felt that they needed to sacrifice so much in order to live normal lives and be accepted by society. Many of the people of this time were hiding feelings of depression, hopelessness, distrust or other issues just below the surface. This part of the poem does a good job of relating how there was much more to the seemingly pristine lives of Americans in the decades after WWII than most people think. This idea is capture well in the excerpt from page 1362 where Ginsberg writes, "Moloch! Moloch! Robot apartments! invisible suburbs! skeleton treasuries! blind capitals! demonic industries! spectral nations! invincible madhouses! granite cocks! monstrous bombs!". This passage shows what many thought of the seemingly pristine and perfect world at the time. That it was all just a sham and that darkness and despair lay just below the surface.

The third part of the poem talks about Rockland, an institution where one of the Ginsberg's friend was sent too. This displays the aspect of hopelessness because Ginsberg felt hopeless for his friend and felt compassion for him. He sympathized with the plight of his friend Carl Solomon and showed that many that thought outside the parameters or had ideas that were contrary to the normal thinking of the time were deemed insane and sent to asylums or not taken seriously. He expresses his hopelessness for these people and his overall hopeless, fearing that many will not be taken seriously or people care what they have to say. This is captured in the line on page 1362 "where you bang on catatonic piano the soul is innocent and immortal and should never die ungodly in and armed madhouse".

Overall, I found this poem to be extremely depressing and enjoyable. However, I do see the points that Ginsberg was trying to make and I can see why he picked this to be one of the themes of the poem. This theme is so transcendent and easy to connect with, and I feel this is one of the reasons that this poem is still popular to this day and that it was deemed as radical in a time when everyone was supposed to be happy-go-lucky and people did not want to reveal what was really going on underneath the surface of American culture.

“Southern Gothic Movement” Literary Context

The Southern Gothic movement played a role in many classic stories and works that people are familiar with, including those of William Faulkner, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Edgar Allen Poe, and Tennessee Williams. This literary movement began in the south in the late 19th century, and explores themes such as tragedy, repressed behaviors, love, sexuality, terror, social interaction, and human existence (Burns, 186). One story that combines many of the elements present in this movement is the story “Good Old Country People” by Flannery O’Connor.

The story is about a young woman that lives with her mother. The woman is a staunch atheist and has a prosthetic leg along with a heart condition, or so she says. This connects to the movement because many Southern Gothic works focus on grotesque or tragic images (Burns, 186). This young woman is taken advantage of by a man claiming to be a Bible salesmen, but in reality he is an evil and twisted person. He ends up luring her into a loft and reveals his true self. This is the part in the story I will examine most and show how it connects to the themes found present in the Southern Gothic movement.

The passage I will examine is found on page 1353 of the anthology where Pointer says ‘“I hope you don’t think, he said in a lofty indignant tone, “that I believe that crap! I may sell Bibles but I know which end is up and I wasn’t born yesterday and I know where I’m going!” This passage displays many of the characteristics of Southern Gothic literature. It is in this passage that Pointer’s true nature is revealed, and that he is shown to be a deceitful and cruel person. We clearly see that this person has a disturbed personality, a characteristic of the movement (wisegeek.org). Also evident by his obsession with prosthetics is that this man is a delusion and damaged character, also a defining characteristic of the genre (wisegeek.com). This man is clearly not who he says he is, and this passage in the text gets that point across. No longer are his strange tendencies hinted at or left to our imagination, as he comes right out and displays his true nature.

What I found most interesting about the subject during my research is that the movement does not span one era or time in history. The era started in the late 19th century and saw a revival again in the 1920’s. And then again in the 1950’s and 60’s (Surber). Overall, however, this genre has been present throughout many different eras of America and is still around and present today. While many forms of writing and storytelling have faded in and out of american literature, the Southern Gothic movement is one that has remained around since it’s inception.

I found the Southern Gothic movement to be one of the most fascinating and interesting literary movements in America. As a fan of Poe and his interesting yet disturbing stories, I found it interest to learn more about this movement and some of the other authors, themes, and ideas present in the movement. I feel that my knowledge gained will help me in further reading of works that fall into this category and help me to understand what the message behind the work really is.

Works Cited

Burns, Margie. "Southern Gothic Literature". Literature Criticism Online. Gale Cengage Learning,             n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015

Surber, Katie. "Southern Gothic Literature: Definition, Characteristics, & Authors". Study.com.                   Study.com. n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015

"What Is the Southern Gothic Movement in Literature?" WiseGEEK. Conjecture Corporation, n.d. Web.         17 Apr. 2015.

A Struggle of Wills

A theme that I found interesting in the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” is the power struggle between Blanche and Stanley. They are both headstrong and confident, and both know what they want. The real difference between them, I feel, is that they each have different ways of persuading people and getting what they want. Stanley is physical and aggressive and relies on his natural strength and intimidation to get what he wants. Blanche, on the other hand, has to be more subtle about the way she goes about things, and instead uses her charm and manipulative ways to get to people.

Stanley is seen as a force of brute strength and aggression, and this is evident throughout the play, but particularly in two parts. The first part is when he lashes out at Blanche and Stella for disrupting his poker game. “Stanley stalks fiercely through the portiers into the bedroom. He crosses to the small white radio and snatches it off the table. With a shouted oath, he tosses the instrument out the window.” (page 1137) Stanley then proceeds to hit Stella and takes his anger out on her. He has to be pinned down by the other men before he can come to his senses, but this is not the end of his violent escapades. His worst act is yet to come, when he rapes Blanche. “He springs toward her, overturning the table. She cries out and strikes at him with the bottle top but he catches her wrist….. She sinks to her knees:He picks up her inert figure and carries her to the bed.” (page 1171). This excerpt clearly indicates that Stanley is nothing more than a bully who uses his strength and physical prowess to get what he wants. This scene is particularly disturbing and gives the audience a sense of his brutal and animalistic nature.

Blanche is more subdued with her attempt to gain power, and indeed much of her manipulation and sway over people is sexual in nature, and she uses her natural good looks to get what she wants. This is evident in the scene where she reveals to Mitch that she was sleeping around with multiple men ever since her husband committed suicide, eventually ending up in trouble because she was caught with a student of hers. However, I think her most telling moment is in the beginning of the play, where she tries with all her might to persuade her sister to leave Stanley. “In this dark march towards whatever were approaching, don’t-- don’t hang back with the brutes!” (page 1144). Even though Blanche is unsuccessful at persuading her sister, I feel this scene is a good indicator of how she works. Doing it behind Stanley’s back, playing on Stella’s emotions and fears about Stanley, and using what had happened on the poker night as a fall back. Her manipulation is unsuccessful however, and the results are disastrous.

I feel that with these two types of personalities and ways of accumulating power butting heads throughout the play, I feel that William’s is making a broader generalization about society as a whole. I feel he is taking the worst stereotypes that exist in people’s minds about both genders and making them into two distinct characters, which I find fascinating. Williams was very clever with the numerous themes woven throughout the story, and I think the ending is fitting because both really do not get what they want in the end. Stanley and Blanche both have some redeeming qualities and some bad ones. Ultimately, the ending was realistic and the resolution of the play is shocking to say the least.

Drifting Expectations

The story "To Build a Fire" by Jack London was a interesting read and one that was different from the traditional, more emotionally driven stories and poems that we typically read in class. The writing style was very realistic as oppose to overly sentimental. I personally found this story more relatable than some of the other material covered in the course so far, and I feel it did a good job of making something that may seem very straightforward and unexciting into a tense and shocking thriller of a short story.

One of the themes that I picked up on in the story is the theme of shifting priorities as your situation changes. I feel that this is extremely easy to relate too, no matter what age you are or what your situation is in life. As your circumstances change, your expectations and what you value changes as well. This happens as we age, as our views on things change, as we change friends, and as we move on to new things in life in general.

A good example in the life of a college student would be for an exam. Let's say a student has an exam coming up soon but chooses to continually not study in advance. As the days go by, he or she will lower their expectations for what they want to achieve on the exam and what they think will be acceptable. Maybe they even started out wanting an "A" but will be happy to get a "C" based on how much they studied or prepared.

This theme is very prevalent in the story "To Build a Fire". At the beginning of the story, the man fully expects to arrive to camp within a few hours. "He would be in to camp by six o'clock; a bit after dark, it was true, but the boys would be there, a fire would be going, and a hot supper would be ready." (Page 629). However, once he breaks through the ice, his priorities and expectations of himself shift. He has to stop to build a fire, which will set him back on his time table.

He builds a small fire which is put out, and then his priorities really begin to shift towards something he would not have imagined beforehand. He needs to build a second fire and knows that, "Even if he succeeded, he would most likely lose some toes." (Page 634). Eventually, he becomes desperate as his hands freeze, he lights all his matches and does not even care that his hands are being burned. All he cares about at this point is staying warm.

Eventually, his second fire sputters out, and at this point he has an idea, involving his dog. “He would kill the dog, and bury his hands in the warm body until the numbness went out of them. Then he could build another fire.” (Page 636). His one last ditch effort is to frantically try to run for camp, something which he would never have even remotely thought about had either of his two previous fires stayed lit.Eventually, the man accepts his own mortality and succombs to the cold. “Freezing was not so bad as people thought. There were worse ways to die.” (Page 638).

This example shows how naturalism is more concerned with how things are in the real world and for me, the scary and disturbing part about this story was how realistic it was. I found myself feeling for the main character because of his realistic and dire situation, and I find that often more realistic scenarios and situations make for better stories, even if the story is fictional or takes place in a fictional setting. Overall, this is one of if not my favorite piece of literature we have read in class, and I feel it is the most easy to relate too because it does not try to make us feel anything or try to persuade use to view things a certain way. It is straightforward and blunt in its storytelling and language, which makes it more interesting to read for me.

Synthesis on the Role of Women in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”

The issue I have chosen to cover for my personal synthesis is the role of women in the novel and of the time period. I think it is interesting how Stowe effortlessly weaves themes of the “cult of domesticity”, the role of strong women, and stereotypical gender roles into her novel. She was a woman herself, and a strong one at that, and this aspect is clearly shown in the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. Similarly, both the cult of domesticity and gender roles are both tackled in this novel to some extent as well, and I believe that Stow challenges the predominating view of the day with her strong, assertive, and memorable female characters.

There are numerous examples where the cult of domesticity can be seen. This includes the mother like tendencies of Mrs. Shelby to her slaves, the politeness shown to her by Mr. Haley, (who is in reality a despicable man), the character of Rachel Halliday, as well as the slave women. I think it is interesting how the typical gender roles of women were passed down from master to slave, especially in the cases with Aunt Chloe and Dinah, who both work in the kitchen and do things around the house. In regards to Aunt Chloe, Stowe writes, “A cook she certainly was, to the very bone and centre of her soul.” Page 18. This shows that although there are strong female characters that exist in the novel, the idea of the “cult of domesticity” is still prevalent.

As much as the “cult of domesticity” is present, I feel that the idea of strong women is even more prevalent in the novel. Most of the main female characters who are not only mentioned in passing are strong willed and take action. Eliza is certainly a strong character, as well as Mrs. Shelby, Mrs. Bird, Mrs. St. Clare, Cassy, certainly Ms. Ophelia, and one could also argue that Eva, although she is still young, is in her own way a strong female character. Eliza is strong in that she escapes with her child and sets off to Canada, both Mrs. Bird and Shelby challenge their husbands and influence their decisions to some degree, or at least try too. Mrs. St. Clare makes up for Mr. St. Clare's lack of assertiveness and authority, as does Ms. Ophelia. And Eva is a strong female character in that she shows love and kindness to the slaves, when some around her are treating them with contempt or apprehension.

This reminds me of our discussion of Eva as a Christ figure in class, and to take on this role one must certainly be strong. She seems to take on the sufferings of the slaves and feels their pain, and in my view she is one of, if not the strongest female presence in the book. The fact that she challenges authority, especially her mother, also shows her innocence, and yet her bravery.  She faces death not with sadness or a sense of being cheated or anything similar to that, but with a confidence and courage, and even up until her last breath, shows her love and compassion for others. This attitude is displayed perfectly on pages 267 to 278 when Stowe writes, “The child felt no pain…  she was so beautiful, so loving, so trustful, so happy, that one could not resist the soothing influence of that air of importance and peace which seemed to breathe around her.”

Another major issue that I feel is dealt with in the novel is the bucking of the trend of gender roles. Like I mentioned earlier, I feel that the strong female characters are obviously a part of this, but I feel that a more specific example would help to get my point across. The attitudes and demeanors of both St. Clare and his cousin, Ms. Ophelia perfectly exemplify this. Ms. Ophelia is assertive, bold, orderly, and much more regimented and “by the books” type of person. Whereas St. Clare is frivolous, lazy, inattentive, unassertive, and does not care about everyday affairs around the house. This is a great example of both men and women switching characteristics, and it is a refreshing take on the typical gender roles. St. Clair is indecisive while Ms. Ophelia wants things done immediately and knows exactly how best to do them. This is evident by how quickly she whips the house into shape, much to the surprise and dismay of the slaves of the St. Clare estate. She also wanted to be assertive about setting Tom free, as was Eva’s wish, but St. Clare was not, and his indecisiveness cost Tom much pain and suffering. This is evident when they are discussing the future of St. Clare’s slaves, as written on page 283, “St. Clare had often thought the same thing himself, but answered; negligently, ‘Well I mean to make a provision, by and by.’ ‘When?’ said Miss Ophelia. ‘O, one of these days.’ ‘What if you should die first?’”. I feel that this brief snippet clearly displays Ms. Ophelia’s sense of urgency and get-to-it attitude, compared with St. Clare’s laid back, casual, and more loose attitude.

Overall, I feel that women are portrayed in a positive light in the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” because of all the positive and strong female characters. I feel there is a good contrast between the more usual, gender- defined female characters and the stronger, more assertive ones. I enjoy reading about strong female characters, as it breaks up the monotony of an all male cast and makes the novel or story more realistic. The flip-flop of gender values and ways of doing things between St. Clare and Ms. Ophelia was refreshing and reflects that not all women and men are “normal” or typical compared to how they are supposed to act given their gender.

                                Review of the Critique of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by William G. Allen

For examining a critique of the novel, I chose to focus on the article written by William G. Allen, called About Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In short, Allen praises the novel, especially with regard to to the contrast of Legree and St. Clare, as well as the piety and good nature of Uncle Tom. He also praises the realistic portrayal of the slave traders and those within the system using religion to justify their actions. He also enjoyed the chapter about Cassy, but has one major critique of the book.  He does not approve of the ending in regards to colonialism, and makes a case that nations are, should continue to be, and are in fact better off being integrated instead of one nation being entirely one race. He also criticizes both the book and the abolitionists for their views on equality and how they do not hold the blacks in as high esteem as themselves.

I think that this particular article adds much to the way we read and interpret the novel. I completely agree with Mr. Allen, and praise his stance, even though it may not have been a particularly popular one at the time. “Nations worthy of the name, are only produced by a fusion of races,” page 501. This quote I feel perfectly sums up his main argument. Allen makes the argument that Americans are already a mish mash of many races, and to say that the Africans are not welcome in the United States is non-sense. I think this adds to the reading by criticizing the work of Stowe and how she advocates for a separate nations entirely for Africans. Allen points how preposterous and ridiculous an idea this is, and how America is simultaneously the ethnically diverse as well as the most powerful nation in the world. He does however, praise the vision that people have for Liberia, that it will be a land of equality for Africans, and that they will have all the rights and privileges of a white man. This leads me to my next point.

Allen then goes on to criticize the abolitionist movement, saying “... their hearts are polluted, with a prejudice which is, beyond all question, a sin meaner than which none ever rankled in the freeman’s heart.” (Also on page 501.) This is something that I talked about in an earlier blog post and to me, it was very surprising to see this view so openly expressed in a piece from that time. I think this adds to the novel by pointing out that although it has good intentions, Stowe, like many others, was a product of her time, and racial equality was not a popular idea of the period. There are indeed moments of racism in this book, and many abolitionists of the time period were not in favor of racial equality. This connects back to the colonial ending of the novel, and how some did not even want the Africans to stay in the United States.

I applaud Mr. Allen on all his points, and I agree with him wholeheartedly. I feel that he does a good job of pointing out both the positive and negative aspects of the novel. I am certainly in favor of his views on equality and prejudice. Like I said, this came as a shock to me while reading this critique, as it was not the prevailing attitude of the day. I also liked that although he was critical of colonization, he did indeed point out some positives that may come of it, such as “... the right of the colored people to meet and mingle in this country-- to rise by their individual worth, and without distinction of caste or color…” page 500. Overall, I think that this article is a fair and honest critique of the book, and one that mirrors my own very closely.

Response to “A Free Person’s Memory of Slavery’s Horror”

One of the scariest and most disturbing things to think about in regards to slavery is how the slaves were treated. The slaves were viewed as property, and could be dealt with however their masters saw fit. There were no laws regulating the treatment of slaves, so the punishment could be as harsh or lenient as possible. This is clearly shown in the memoir of a slave written by Henrietta King. This element is also present in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, as is evident by how Tom is treated by Mr. Shelby and St. Clare and by Mr. Legree.

This memoir is about a slave, Henrietta King, who reflects on her treatment by her Mistress and how her harsh treatment changed her life. The young slave was constantly tempted by a piece of peppermint, and knew her mistress was waiting to catch her in the act of stealing it. Finally, Henrietta could take no more and quickly ate the candy, only to be caught by her mistress the next day. The woman tried to whip Henrietta, but she was struggling and so the mistress called her daughter down to help. She held the young girl under her rocking chair and pressed down on the Henrietta’s head while the daughter whipped her.

Even though the mistress called in a doctor to examine her, Henrietta’s mouth could not be helped. Her face was permanently disfigured, and she lacked teeth on one side. She could not chew and could only eat soft foods or liquids. When the girl grew into a woman, Henrietta would often have people stare at her and children would run away in fear. She grew used to this though, and learned to live with it. When she heard that her mistress had died years later, she did not shed a single tear for her.

I think that this article clearly illustrates the horrors of slavery and how the treatment of the slaves was left up to the slave owners. “I seed dat peppermint stick layin’ dere, an’ I ain’t dared go near it ‘cause I knew ole Missus jus’ waitin’ for me to take it.”  (Page 473). This quote clearly shows that many slave owners held their slaves only in contempt and had no pity or compassion for them. It reminds me of an opposite approach that would be taken by Mr. Shelby or Mr. St. Clare in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. These characters were compassionate and caring for their slaves, and would have let the child eat the candy, or even given it to them as a treat.

On the other hand, I feel that the response taken by Henrietta’s mistress would be more closely associated with those of Legree. He often punished his slaves harshly for, regardless of their feelings or what would happen. This situation, in which the punishment was too harsh and the punisher got carried away, reminds me of the portion of the novel where Tom cannot work due to his injuries because Legree beat him so bad. Legree did not give regard to Tom’s feelings or what would happen in the future with him, just like what happened with Henrietta in the story. This quote I feel gets this point across well, “Seem like dat rocker pressin’ on my young bones had crushed ‘em all into soft pulp. De nex’ day I couldn’ open my mouf an’ I feel it an dey warn’t no bone in de lef’ side at all.” (Page 438)

This story shows the horrors of slavery clearly, and helps to drive home the point that there was no regulation of treatment for the slaves, and that the punishment could be as severe as the master wanted. Many slaves, like Tom in the story and Henrietta in this real world example, were often subject to their owner’s violent outbursts and fits of rage at their actions. This is just one of the many evils present in the institution of slavery, and why it has been and should continue to be eradicated.

                                                                     The Yellow Asylum

The story entitled "The Yellow Wallpaper" is the story of one woman's descent into madness. The narrator of the story has been cooped up inside a room, presumably to help her recover from her illness. Everyone around her says it is temporary and that it will only last a short while. Eventually, the narrator begins to lose her sanity and becomes obsessed with the wallpaper in her room. This story is certainly disturbing and makes for a very interesting read. However, I think it is also telling of the general attitude toward the mentally ill of this time period, and this is what I will be focusing on in this blog post.

This topic relates to me in that it has always interested me. I have three uncles that were born developmentally disabled, and although this is different than a mental disease, there are many correlations as well. I have always admired the patience and willingness of their caretakers to help them, and I feel it takes a special kind of person to be able to work with the mentally ill or disabled. The topic of the treatment of the mentally ill has always fascinated me, although I admit my knowledge of the subject is limited. However, reading this story only reinforced my previous knowledge of the terrible treatment of the mentally ill in times gone by.

The mistreatment of the insane and mentally ill was common in the 19th Century, and many insane asylums of the time more so resembled prisons than hospitals. This sense of being caged in and kept away from everyone else is a common theme throughout the story, as noted in a few passages. The first is on page 487, where the narrator states, "the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls." Her mention of a "gate at the head of stairs" also conveys this sense of containment, which was common in insane asylums of the time period. Also, the fact that she is kept away from everyone else, and that John makes up excuses to keep her upstairs and not in some other room also conveys the sense of segregation. Around this time, the insane or cognitively disabled were locked away and not allowed in the public sphere. This is also evident in the story how she is told to stay in bed, not to get up and walk around much, and that she cannot help take care of her child. Another example of the treatment of the mentally ill is that, often, John refutes her claims or slyly mocks her comments. This is evident  in a number of passages, including on page number 488, "I suppose John was never nervous in his life. He laughs at me about this wall-paper!" and also on page 490 where the narrator says, "I don't know why I should write this. I don't want to. I don't feel able. And I know John would think it absurd." Passages like these clearly indicate that John felt about the narrator the same way many felt about the mentally ill or disabled at that time, that they were idiots, and their ideas about things were often ridiculed or ignored entirely.

The implications of what I have discussed are far reaching indeed. It is with examples like this that we are able to see how society progresses onward and how our view of certain things has become more ethical over the past 100 to 150 years or so. I think that this shows that now days, those who are mentally ill or disabled are treated much more fairly and with more respect than before. They are sometimes given jobs, and people try to understand and help them rather than ridicule, isolate and try to control them. Mental illness is now looked upon as a disease that can be treated and possibly even cured rather than an oddity or spectacle to be gawked at. In the same way, many other ideas and views of things in society have changed since the time the story was written, such as views on race, women, science, religion, and so on. Most of the these changes have been good, and I think viewing the progression of treatment of the mentally ill is a good example of this.

Outside source used to pull  information from in this post:

http://www.canadianmysteries.ca/sites/jerome/contextes/maladiementale/indexen.html